Honolulu Museum of Art Spalding House

The Honolulu Museum of Art Spalding House is a museum exhibiting contemporary art located in Makiki Hill, Hawaii.

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When I went to Hawaii about 10 years ago, I visited the Honolulu Museum of Art and Spalding House.
As of 2024, it is closed and the building was said to have been put up for sale in 2019, but there are currently no exhibitions and the museum appears to exist.

To give you a brief history of the museum, its most prosperous period was from 1988 to 2011, when businessman Twig Smith became its patron and it operated as the Honolulu Museum of Contemporary Art.

The Honolulu Museum of Art’s decision to finally put it up for sale appears to have been the result of a long period of consideration as to how to utilize the facility. However, as the building is located in a celebrity area called Makiki no Oka, surrounding residents said that it would be a nuisance for the general public to come and wander around the town, and there was a strong voice of opposition to the plan. I saw it in the article. Even museums are sometimes perceived as nuisance facilities, and I felt that harmony with neighboring residents is a difficult problem in any country. I hope it will be purchased by a new celebrity and released again, but I feel like there is little hope.

Built in 1925 as a private residence
Acquired by Honolulu Academy of Arts in 1968
Exhibiting Japanese ukiyo-e from 1970 to 1978
1980 Garden revival
1986 Renovated into a contemporary art museum
1988 Exhibition begins as the Honolulu Museum of Contemporary Art.
1990s Garden restoration
2011 Merged with the Honolulu Museum of Art and renamed the Honolulu Museum of Art/Spalding House.
2019 Exhibition ends, building sold

When I visited in 2013, it was already a branch of the Honolulu Museum of Art, and was exhibiting contemporary art. On the day of my visit, I entered the garden, but I don’t remember ever entering the building, and I don’t remember seeing anyone at the reception desk. Therefore, I did not view works such as Whitney’s opera installations displayed in the museum. Since it has already closed, I am reminded that it is important to do your homework before visiting.

Regarding the day of my visit, I finished my errands at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, walked to a nearby bus stop, got on the bus, got off at the bus stop at the intersection of Punahou Street and Neohoa Street, and walked up the hill from the bus stop. I remember being very tired as I had to walk up a steep hill under the scorching sun to get there.

If you look at Google Maps now, it seems like you could get to a nearby bus stop by changing bus routes, but back then Google Maps wasn’t as good as it is now, and overseas roaming costs were high, so you could use the internet outside. I don’t think it was. I should have saved Google Maps locally on the hotel’s Wifi and used it outside. Was it possible to use overseas SIM back then? I have no memory.

Place:2411 Makiki Heights Drive Honolulu, HI 96822
Visit date:2013.01.11
Exhibition name:Finding X